Roasted Brussels Sprouts Recipe

With the arrival of fall, I’ve been making it a point to expand my fall recipe repertoire. Case in point – this lovely roasted Brussels sprouts recipe. I love Brussels sprouts, especially roasted like this.

Interestingly, until I was doing the research for this recipe, I thought they were called “brussel sprouts.” That’s how my ear hears it when spoken. But no, it’s definitely “Brussels sprouts” with a capital “B” and everything, named after the city in Belgium, due to their wide popularity there. It’s possible they may have even originated from Brussels, but I don’t think anyone knows for sure.

So Brussels sprouts are part of the cabbage family. That’s fairly obvious from their shape and leafy make-up. I find them to be more pungent than cabbage but more enjoyable at the same time. All that flavor is packed into a tiny head versus the gargantuan heads that are cabbage.

Most of the time when you see Brussels sprouts at the store, they are in a clear plastic clamshell container like so many other things (cherry tomatoes, strawberries, etc). However, sometimes grocery stores will sell them still on the stalk. If you see them this way, buy on the stalk instead. These are going to be much fresher than the Brussels sprouts in the clamshell. This also means that they will last longer in your fridge if you can’t cook them all at once.

A note on preparing the Brussels sprouts for cooking. I prefer to trim the bottom core off, cut the sprout in half top to bottom and then discard any thick or browning leaves from the exterior of the sprout. I’ve seen people cook them many different ways, but I find they cook best this way and provide the best finished product.

On to the bacon. I really like to prepare my Brussels sprouts with bacon. As you’ll see below, I prefer to cook the bacon in a skillet on the side while the Brussels sprouts are in the oven. Make sure to reserve at least one tablespoon of bacon drippings for finishing the dish. It really makes all the difference.

Of course I’ve used Nueske’s applewood bacon for this recipe. I was introduced to this product many years ago when I worked in a country club kitchen in Columbus, Ohio. This is my favorite bacon. It’s smokey but not overpowering. I also like that it’s made at a family owned smokehouse business. Always important.

I feel like I’ve been putting bacon in quite a few dishes lately. But I’m totally okay with that because bacon makes a great seasoning meat. Jeremy and I don’t eat much meat overall. We get more of our meat as an additional ingredient rather than a center of plate item. I like a good steak every now and then, but I try to do that sparingly.

Parmesan cheese is the cheese of choice for this dish for me. However, any hard cheese would suffice so if you have something else you prefer, go for it! I just like the way the Parmesan softens but doesn’t quite melt in this dish. It also adds another salty dimension to the dish, which I find delectable.

So overall, this dish is fairly easy and straightforward. I used 400 ºF oven for this to speed the cooking time just a little. I know these can be cooked stove top as well, but I really like roasting in the oven. I prefer the slower cook time and the level of caramelization imparted on a dish. Be sure to stir these at least once while roasting so that they cook evenly.

Alrighty, now on to the recipe!

Yield: 2 side portions, 1 entree portion

Roasted Brussels Sprouts Recipe

This roasted Brussels sprouts recipe features crispy bacon and Parmesan cheese. Makes a great side dish or entree item.